Casino is one of Martin Scorsese’s longer movies, but it never lags or runs out of steam. It’s a tight, lean thriller that gives a comprehensive history lesson about Vegas. It shows how mob gangsters lost control of the gambling cash cow to real estate investors and hotel chains with deeper pockets.
The movie also explains how casinos make their money. While patrons spend money betting on games of chance, casinos make their profits by taking a percentage of all bets made. They do this by adjusting the odds of each game to their favor. For instance, blackjack used to pay 3:2 ($3 paid for every $2 wagered), but in the 1990s it was changed to 6:5.
Some casinos have catwalks in the ceiling and cameras that can look down at each table, window and doorway. This high-tech eye-in-the-sky system allows security personnel to monitor all activities at once. It also helps them spot suspicious movements or patterns. Casinos also have specialized security systems for tables and slot machines. These use microcircuitry in the betting chips to monitor all the bets that are made minute by minute, allowing casino employees to watch each game for any statistical deviation.
Some casinos entice players with extravagant inducements to stay longer and gamble more, such as free spectacular entertainment, reduced-fare transportation, luxurious living quarters and even rooms for the night. Others try to create a manufactured blissful experience, wafting scented oils through their ventilation systems and making the environment bright and cheery with dazzling lights and joyous music.